Thailand No.1 - Nottingham

The growth of Thai restaurants in Britain over the last two decades is a tribute to many different influences. Not least amongst these is their reputation for a new cuisine, taste, call it what you will, combined with quality, courtesy and colourful restaurants. You can be sure that these, and other attractive features, will be there to welcome you in the great majority of Thai restaurants.

So to Nottingham, legendary home of the Wicked Sheriff, the Goose Fair, and more recently Thailand No.1, a city where the current growth of above average restaurants has been a welcome phenomenon, ensuring that only the best do well. Walk inside and you will enjoy the transformation from the busy city streets to a calm oasis of Far Eastern charm and décor. It's worth going just to see the wooden carvings alone, as well as to feel the embrace of oriental order and meticulous care in preparation, and the almost stately service that would grace any table.

The meal starts with soups, appetizers and vegetarian starters. Expect to find Tom Yam hot and sour soup with a choice of three main ingredients, beloved of so many, with Poa Tak Talay, the spicy mixed seafood soup, flavoured with lemongrass, and a clear Thai style soup with mixed vegetables and glass noodles as alternatives.

A choice of ten or so appetizers includes the fine value Chef's platter, with a selection of classic Thai starters that offers a wonderful introduction to this fragrant food. The quantity in a Thai meal is distributed over the courses more so than in other cuisines, and for newcomers it's important to resist the temptations that occur right from the start, and pace yourself.

Main courses are distributed over a wide choice ranging through chef's specialities such as Pad Ma-Kham, an exotic tamarind sauce cooked with king prawns or duck, through a range of Thai curries including Gaeng Kiew Waan, the most popular Thai green curry cooked in coconut milk with mixed vegetables, chicken, beef or pork, or King prawns. Stir fried dishes yields the winner amongst Thai people, Pad Ka-Praw, basil leaves, chilli and garlic stir fried with your choice of beancurd, chicken, beef, pork, squid, King prawns or mixed seafood.

Thai salads take full advantage of the wealth of produce available in their homeland, plane-loads of which now arrive regularly to give even more authenticity to the dishes beyond their shores. Seven choices of rice, at least three of which are meals in their own right are topped for many by the Pad Thai, traditional Thai style fried noodles with chicken, beansprouts, spring onion and tamarind topped with ground peanuts.

The availability of banquet set meals has the advantage of delegating choices to a professional as well as offering wonderful value, and the set meal deluxe for a minimum of four people is quite superb, special occasion or not.

The drinks list, amongst which wine features, brings together a fascinating array of beverages with a selection of liqueurs in particular that leaves ample room for choice. And for connoisseurs of the unusual there's even Thai whisky. With Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label at a very affordable price who needs anything else to celebrate? Talking about celebrations, they also have a private room upstairs seating fifty available for dinners, functions, meetings or any other legal purpose.

As an unashamed aficionado of Thai restaurants it is my pleasant duty to give Thailand No.1 a very high rating indeed; not too surprising as they already have two successful Thailand No.1s in Lincoln and Matlock. For more information click on their Website which gives a comprehensive picture of the delights that await.